Roller chain



April 24, 1945. w. H. C. BERG Em 2,374,267

ROLLER CHAI N Filed March 31, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l m OO M INVENToR April 24, 1945- wfH. c. BERG ET Al. 2,374,267

ROLLER CHAIN Filed March 3l, 1944 N mfc. /5 M w NVENTORS 4770/? frs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE ROLLER CHAIN Werner H. C. Berg, Hartford, and Victor A. Hanson, East Granby, Conn., assignors to The Whitney Chain & Mfg. Co., Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 31, 1944, Serial No. 528,849

Ciairns. (Cl. 198-189) I importance.

A preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a stretch of the chain Fig..

2 a vertical cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. l, Fig. 3 an elevation of three of the links, Fig. 4 an elevation illustrating a particular application of the chain and Fig. 5 a perspective view of a modied form.

The chain comprises alternate roller links and pin links, generally designated I and 2, respectively. Each roller link consists of side plates,A

3 and 4, united adjacent their ends and spaced by bushings 5 which carry rollers 6; and the pin links consist of side plates 1 and 8 located on and by the headed pins 9 passing through the pin.

holes located adjacent the ends of the links and locked in place as by cotter pins I0.

In this preferred form; which will be recognized as having special advantages from the standpoint of economy of manufacture and convenience of use, the corresponding side plates 4 and 8 of both types of link are of identical form. Each of said links is of oblong shape, with its upper corners rounded on a radius swung from the center of the adjacent pin hole, whereas the lower corners are angular and faced oi nat, as at Il (Figs. 3 and 5). The upper and lower edges of these plates are provided with centrally located anges I2 and I3, which are parallel and extend outwardly away from the link at right angles to the plate. As appears in Fig. 3, the flat faces I I are located in substantially the same plane as the upper faces of the lower flanges I3, so that when the links are assembled, the lower flat faces II of each pin link side plate 8 seat on the upper faces of flanges I3 of adjacent roller link side plate 4. On the other hand, the upper anges are turned over from the upstanding neck portions I9 with the result that the lower faces of these anges are above the adjacent upper edges of the plates.

The anges I2 and I3 extend laterally a substantial distance and are provided with registering slots or perforations I4, I5 located wholly beyond the plane of the outer faces of the pin link side plates. As shown in Fig. 4, these slots thus serve to receive the legs or supporting members I I6 of any suitable guides or separators I'I appropriately formed as dictated by the nature of the articles being conveyed on the chain, such as the lithograph plates diagrammatically indicated at I8. It will be seen from Fig. 4 that the upstanding neck portions I9 not only elevate the upper flanges to a height to provide adequate cleai-, ance f or the links when rounding a drive sprocket but also with the adiacent upper edges of the links form shoulders for locating the lower edges of the articles such as plates I8. As will be understood, the chains are used `in pairs with their anges facing one another, the guides I1 having legs similar to those illustrated supported in the corresponding anges of the companion chain. and the articles on the conveyor, such as the plates I8, spanning the two chains,

By the link construction described, a highly eflicient chain is provided being equally effective for transmission purposes as any standard roller chain and at the same timewell adapted to the needs of a high load conveyor chain. It will be apparent that for the latter purpose the flanges can be supported on suitable rails, in which event the transported articles are conveyed smoothly,

without rocking or jar, due to the stability imparted to the chain engagement of the faces II with the anges I3 of adjacent links; and also that even when the flanges are not supported on rails, the interengagement of the faces II and stretch of chain so constructed.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a modied -form of link in which the side plates 4 on both sides of roller link are of the construction above described. As will be recognized, a chain constructed of links of this character has numerous applications and can be used either alone or as a center chain intermediate two chains of the kind rst described, the three chains serving to convey two loads of the articles being handled. And, since the described link plate is symmetrical with respect to a center line normal to the longitudinal axis of the plate, such plate is adapted to be used on either or both sides of. a link without change.

It will be understood that the references to the upper and lower portions of the plates are used in this description and in the claims for convenience of designation, having relation to 55 the parts of the plates which correspond to such flanges I3 precludes any back-bend inany upper designations in the positions which the links occupy as in Fig. 3.

. The following is claimed:

1. A roller chain side plate of oblong shape and of symmetrical form with respect to a center line normal tothe longitudinal axis of the plate, said plate.. havingeJ pin ;hole adjaenteacl'rtend thereof, the upper crn'ers of th, plate .being curved each on a radius swung from the centers of said holes and the lower corners of the plata being angular with nat faces on the lower ,edges of the plate adjacent such corners, a neck portion upstanding from the upper edge of .the plate intermediate said holes and turned over to.;lormA a flange extending laterallylthe,platemith its lower face above the adjacent upper curved edges `of each roller link plate being overlapped by and servizigas a support for the lower edges of the "endportions of the adjacent pin link plates, and

said upperfandllower anges having registering -V perforations therein located outside of the plane of the plate, and a second ilangeturned ovenfrom the lower edge of the plate' ir'ite'rriiediat'eV said holes, the upper face of the second ilang'e being siibstantiallyk nthe` plane ofthe .said yfiat faces thnngthjgf seiejnangeszin g'direetionjolitwalfdlmflzomtnej plate; being greater tra the thick! ne'ssof the plate; k d

2`.` A 'roller' chain' side'plat'e of' oblong" shape 'and offs'y'n'imetrical'forthwith' respect to a center line normal' to the li'gitudinalaxis' of` the plategs'aid plate" liafi/rr'igA a piti lkol Aadjafce'nt each end therejn of; thlipper corners'of the plate being' curved. eaclon'a radius; swung frornthe cente'r's ofsail h'ol's; a neck portioups'tanding'from th upperf edge of the plate intermediate sa'id holesV and turned over' to forni'a flange extending laterally of the plate with its lower face above the adjacent upper curved edges' of the"plat'e,. arida second fiahg' turned. over from` the` lower edge of the. plate intermediate said holes, the upper face of the second flange b'eing substantially in the plane of the lowest faces of theloweredgeof. the plate, the lengthof'said anges, in a direction out-c wardlyfrom the plate, being greater than the thickness ofthe plate. 1.

- 3. A roller chain composed ofalternatingroller links and pinvlinks including identical roller llink-r and 4pinlink plates on :at least onevsidecof4 theA chain,` each of said identical links having loadof theouterfaces of the pin link plates.

A.4. Alroller chain composed of alternating roller linkswandpin'links including a continuous series of load-supporting' roller link and pin link plates on: at least one side of the chain, each of said plates having load-supporting means onslstingof two Vcent1-,ally located,v laterallyvprojecting parallel flanges extending'outwardly of the link onewgror-ny the upper and one from thelower edge thereon the upper-faces of the flanges at thelowerl edgesl of the rollerlink plates being" in the same plane` as'andoverlapped by the lowerl edges of the en d portions of the' adjacent'pin link plates, and said upper and lower flangeshaying registering puer-` iorations tl'ierlein located ,utsidelof the plane of the outer faces of the pin link plates.

5. A roller chain composed of alternatingroller:

links and Vpin links including identical rollerlink and pin linkpplates on at least onensideof the chain', each Y of saldi izieni'licali links having loadsupporting means, vconsisting oftwo. centrally lo cat eclt laterally lprojecting@parallel` flanges extending outwardly of the linlgrvone from thel uppel and one from' the lowerkedge'thereof, the upper faces of the flanges at the lower edges oflx'all llinvks` b eing'inuthe'same plane as and gverlappedhythe lower4 edges of the end portions of the adjacent uk'plates. s. WERNER- H- C-BERGQ VICTOR A. HANsoN. 

